Creamy Tarragon Chicken
Beautifully tender chicken that's golden on the outside, served with a creamy sauce with a lovely tarragon flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil plus more if needed
- 4 chicken breasts (weighing approx. 150g to 200g each)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 shallots or 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 160ml dry white wine
- 125ml chicken stock
- 125ml double cream (I use Elmlea to reduce the calories!)
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon finely chopped (see Notes)
- 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
- a small handful of fresh parsley or more tarragon finely chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, saucepan or casserole over a high heat. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are golden and caramelised, before turning them over and cooking them for another 3 to 5 minutes. The best way to achieve a nice colour on the chicken is to not move the chicken too often.
- Once the chicken breasts are golden and caramelised on both sides, remove them to a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan as needed, then add the shallots (or onions) and garlic. Cook on a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until they have softened.
- Pour the white wine into the pan and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it has reduced slightly. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture and to lift any caramelised bits from the pan.
- Pour in the chicken stock and cream, together with the fresh tarragon. Let the sauce simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper, as needed.
- Slowly pour in the cornflour slurry, stirring the sauce as you do. You may not need all of the cornflour and water mixture – use as much as you need until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Return the chicken to the pan, turn the heat down to medium low, and cover with a lid. Cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken pieces have cooked through (I use a Thermapen to check they’re cooked to 74C).
- Garnish with parsley or more tarragon before serving. It’s delicious with roast potatoes or mashed potatoes, plus your favourite veg. It’s also delicious with pasta (see Notes).
Notes
- If you can’t get fresh tarragon, use 1 tsp of dried tarragon instead.
- Enjoy leftovers with pasta of your choice – I like tagliatelle. Cut or shred the chicken into bite size chunks and reheat gently on the hob.
- This creamy tarragon chicken recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people - the photos are three quarters of the recipe. We enjoyed 2 for dinner one night and there was a lunch portion with pasta for the next day!